Indeed... have spent lots of time in NorCal exploring but not so much down south... there's a whole lotta fantastic roads down that way too... we are so lucky to have this state as our moto playground... B)
A SoCal Sojourn and Silver Linings
- Thread starter Tyler
- Start date
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Well, hurry up, Kev... time's a'wastin!! :lol: And yeah, I did the old style GPS with the new GPS as I haven't mastered planning a full trip. Just having the names on a list in front of me helps to confirm everything... I usually spend some time with a paper map the night before... I'm kinda old fashioned like that.Tyler, as usual your photos are outstanding! Someday I'm going to ask you to escort me thru some of your favorites.I use your style of GPS often, even when Pops and I took your crew to Electric City. I just can't seem to remember all the roads names anymore!
Thanks, James!
DAY THREE: Simi Valley to Hollywood - https://tinyurl.com/lkv8yqp
We were greeted early Saturday morning by three of my favorite SoCal contingent, Larry, Curly and Moe... no wait, that would be Richard, John, and Steve (eerily close in comparison)...
They had agreed to help guide us through some of the canyon roads around Malibu... the morning was cool and off we went... part one - 23/Mulholland Hwy, Decker Canyon, Encinal Canyon, Hwy 1, Kanan Dume Rd...
John chasing me down...
Then back on Mulholland Hwy until we arrived at the famed Rock Store which seemed much smaller than I imagined it to be!
John was more than willing to lend a hand, two even, for our photo opp...
Richard/redtail and Laurie joined us for part of the ride and off we went winding our way on a section of Mulholland that is called "The Snake" for obvious reasons when you ride it...
There is also a specific corner where a photographer lays in wait to capture riders on their way up... I liked the pic so gave him a few bucks for the download...
Group shot of the day's special guest stars...
We were greeted early Saturday morning by three of my favorite SoCal contingent, Larry, Curly and Moe... no wait, that would be Richard, John, and Steve (eerily close in comparison)...
They had agreed to help guide us through some of the canyon roads around Malibu... the morning was cool and off we went... part one - 23/Mulholland Hwy, Decker Canyon, Encinal Canyon, Hwy 1, Kanan Dume Rd...
John chasing me down...
Then back on Mulholland Hwy until we arrived at the famed Rock Store which seemed much smaller than I imagined it to be!
John was more than willing to lend a hand, two even, for our photo opp...
Richard/redtail and Laurie joined us for part of the ride and off we went winding our way on a section of Mulholland that is called "The Snake" for obvious reasons when you ride it...
There is also a specific corner where a photographer lays in wait to capture riders on their way up... I liked the pic so gave him a few bucks for the download...
Group shot of the day's special guest stars...
And then we were off again on a spirited romp down through the canyons and out to the coast... I think this was Latigo Canyon which was a roller coaster ride road!
And then time for lunch in Malibu... this place had awesome fresh seafood and we gave it two thumbs up!!
The fog would roll in an out as we lunched...
And we watched a big bicycle race go by as it clogged up the PCH...
Richard and Laurie bade us goodbye for the day and Richard/Fairlaner showed us the escape route...
After zigging and zagging our way up, we came down on Tuna Canyon Rd. which is a one way road... no worries about oncoming traffic on your side of the road which was good because it was narrow and very windy... and it was all ours!
Quintessential Richard (photo by Sally)...
When I was initially planning the trip, I had asked Sally if she had ever been to Hollywood... and she replied no but YES let's go! So our next stop was the Hollywood sign which Richard led us on a merry chase along freeways and small, narrow wiggling streets complete with a U-turn for good measure... starting with Sunset Blvd. to see how some of the rich folk live...
Until finally we found the photo opp spot and did the tourist thing... Sally Tyler Risk style...
And then time for lunch in Malibu... this place had awesome fresh seafood and we gave it two thumbs up!!
The fog would roll in an out as we lunched...
And we watched a big bicycle race go by as it clogged up the PCH...
Richard and Laurie bade us goodbye for the day and Richard/Fairlaner showed us the escape route...
After zigging and zagging our way up, we came down on Tuna Canyon Rd. which is a one way road... no worries about oncoming traffic on your side of the road which was good because it was narrow and very windy... and it was all ours!
Quintessential Richard (photo by Sally)...
When I was initially planning the trip, I had asked Sally if she had ever been to Hollywood... and she replied no but YES let's go! So our next stop was the Hollywood sign which Richard led us on a merry chase along freeways and small, narrow wiggling streets complete with a U-turn for good measure... starting with Sunset Blvd. to see how some of the rich folk live...
Until finally we found the photo opp spot and did the tourist thing... Sally Tyler Risk style...
The boys left us but we would see them later for dinner that evening... Sally and I descended upon Tinsel Town, aka Hollyweird, and we weren't disappointed...
Until arriving at our hotel for the evening...
We were directed to park our bikes back next to the Corvette display, we unloaded and headed into our room which online looks much swankier than our room was... very disappointed in this place as it was VERY expensive (paying for location as you are right across the street from Grauman's Chinese Theatre) with very little bang for the buck, imo... but our spirits were not dampened and we showered and then hit the streets to check out the sights...
The closest I'll most likely ever get... sigh...
Ya never know what you'll see rolling down the sidewalk...
Lots of characters on the streets waiting to take photos with tourists for a few bucks... guess you gotta make a living while waiting for that big break...
These ladies weren't so keen on having their photos taken unless you flashed some green...
Until arriving at our hotel for the evening...
We were directed to park our bikes back next to the Corvette display, we unloaded and headed into our room which online looks much swankier than our room was... very disappointed in this place as it was VERY expensive (paying for location as you are right across the street from Grauman's Chinese Theatre) with very little bang for the buck, imo... but our spirits were not dampened and we showered and then hit the streets to check out the sights...
The closest I'll most likely ever get... sigh...
Ya never know what you'll see rolling down the sidewalk...
Lots of characters on the streets waiting to take photos with tourists for a few bucks... guess you gotta make a living while waiting for that big break...
These ladies weren't so keen on having their photos taken unless you flashed some green...
We walked up the actual staircase where all the stars enter for the Academy Awards...
And then we met up with da boyz again as well as the lovely Karen (Mrs. Fairlaner) and had a wonderful dinner at Musso & Frank's Grill which has been around since 1919 and it appeared that some of the staff had been there that long too... it was a really fun place and the food was fantastic... good choice for the H'wood experience...
My long-time friend from college, Dori, who lives in SoCal and works in "The Biz" doing casting for the show "Wilfred" met us for dinner too...
And then made our way back to our hotel on the busy and brightly colored streets...
We made our way through the throngs of the young, rich & beautiful people in our hotel, got in our jammies, turned on the t.v. and caught a very bizarre b/w movie starring a very young William Shatner and all speaking in what appeared to be Italian... I Google'd it and found out the movie was called "Incubus"... some sort of horror movie... it was very bizarre but a somehow appropriate way to end the day...
We drifted off to the sounds of the busy streets below and I hoped I wouldn't be plagued by dreams of bad acting...
Next up... an unexpected detour...
And then we met up with da boyz again as well as the lovely Karen (Mrs. Fairlaner) and had a wonderful dinner at Musso & Frank's Grill which has been around since 1919 and it appeared that some of the staff had been there that long too... it was a really fun place and the food was fantastic... good choice for the H'wood experience...
My long-time friend from college, Dori, who lives in SoCal and works in "The Biz" doing casting for the show "Wilfred" met us for dinner too...
And then made our way back to our hotel on the busy and brightly colored streets...
We made our way through the throngs of the young, rich & beautiful people in our hotel, got in our jammies, turned on the t.v. and caught a very bizarre b/w movie starring a very young William Shatner and all speaking in what appeared to be Italian... I Google'd it and found out the movie was called "Incubus"... some sort of horror movie... it was very bizarre but a somehow appropriate way to end the day...
We drifted off to the sounds of the busy streets below and I hoped I wouldn't be plagued by dreams of bad acting...
Next up... an unexpected detour...
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Bugnatr
Well-known member
Yum Yum, good stuff T. Hollywood Blvd. is a trip and no doubt Sally had plenty of interesting sights to look at.
BkerChuck
Second hand vegetarian
As always, I'm thoroughly enjoying this ride vicariously through your report. Thanks for sharing all of your pictures and experiences with those of us on the other coast.
People watching is always the best... :lol:Yum Yum, good stuff T. Hollywood Blvd. is a trip and no doubt Sally had plenty of interesting sights to look at.
Hope you make it out here some day soon so you can enjoy it firsthand! B)
DAY FOUR: Hollywood to Palm Springs (original route) - https://tinyurl.com/l5jdxoz
We hit the road early and drove through a very different Hollywood at that time of day... streets and sidewalks were empty and we high-tailed it outta town before anyone got up... we were rewarded with a lovely sunrise to cheer us on...
We slabbed our way to the beginning of Hwy 2/Angeles Crest Hwy. It was early and there was very little traffic out and what was out was easily passed... you can see the road running along the ridge...
Lots and lots of this...
And a huge thank you to ULEWZ for the suggestion of Upper Big Tujunga Rd... we ended up doing it twice - out and back again - from Hwy 2... judging by the number of bikes we saw going both ways, it looks to be a local favorite and I could definitely see why!!
Continuing on 2, the road gets higher up in elevation and we started seeing snow on the mountainsides... as we were rounding a corner going from sun into shade, I didn't see the rocks that had slid onto the road... and they were really BIG rocks... and I hit one square on the right front tire... HARD... the cleaner part of the road after I hit that rock...
I kept going and everything seemed to be okay... for a minute or two... and then the steering started feeling wonky... I looked at the right front tire and it was flat... flatty flat FLAT. We were 14 miles outside of Wrightwood and I was pissed and bummed and wtf-was-I-gonna-do-ing... when a truck pulled up and, after telling him my sad story, offered me a lift down to the ranger's station about 10 miles away... his name? Jesus... really.
Sally followed behind on her bike and as I thought about it, I was glad I hit the rock instead of her because she very likely would have gone down... and that would have been worse... big time silver lining. No cell service so one of the ranger guys let me in to use their phone so I could call a tow truck. We were in a nice area, picnic tables, water, and restrooms so it could've been worse while we waited for the tow truck.
And the fall colors were really pretty to look at too...
The tow truck arrived after about an hour and took me back to the scene of the flat... he valiantly tried to plug the tire but the rock had made a pretty good gash in the sidewall and the plug wouldn't hold...
So up she went for the ride back down the hill... I kept an eye on her in the side mirror...
Yeah, yeah...
The closest dealer was in San Bernardino, Chapparal Motosports... HUGE store and a sense of humor to boot...
It was Sunday so the service dept was closed but they took pity on me and took the bike in to their secure lot until I could call the next morning. We stayed that evening with my friend, Lynn, in Palm Springs, who has a fairly well developed sense of humor...
To follow... new tires, good Samaritans, and a happy ending (not that kind!!)...
We hit the road early and drove through a very different Hollywood at that time of day... streets and sidewalks were empty and we high-tailed it outta town before anyone got up... we were rewarded with a lovely sunrise to cheer us on...
We slabbed our way to the beginning of Hwy 2/Angeles Crest Hwy. It was early and there was very little traffic out and what was out was easily passed... you can see the road running along the ridge...
Lots and lots of this...
And a huge thank you to ULEWZ for the suggestion of Upper Big Tujunga Rd... we ended up doing it twice - out and back again - from Hwy 2... judging by the number of bikes we saw going both ways, it looks to be a local favorite and I could definitely see why!!
Continuing on 2, the road gets higher up in elevation and we started seeing snow on the mountainsides... as we were rounding a corner going from sun into shade, I didn't see the rocks that had slid onto the road... and they were really BIG rocks... and I hit one square on the right front tire... HARD... the cleaner part of the road after I hit that rock...
I kept going and everything seemed to be okay... for a minute or two... and then the steering started feeling wonky... I looked at the right front tire and it was flat... flatty flat FLAT. We were 14 miles outside of Wrightwood and I was pissed and bummed and wtf-was-I-gonna-do-ing... when a truck pulled up and, after telling him my sad story, offered me a lift down to the ranger's station about 10 miles away... his name? Jesus... really.
Sally followed behind on her bike and as I thought about it, I was glad I hit the rock instead of her because she very likely would have gone down... and that would have been worse... big time silver lining. No cell service so one of the ranger guys let me in to use their phone so I could call a tow truck. We were in a nice area, picnic tables, water, and restrooms so it could've been worse while we waited for the tow truck.
And the fall colors were really pretty to look at too...
The tow truck arrived after about an hour and took me back to the scene of the flat... he valiantly tried to plug the tire but the rock had made a pretty good gash in the sidewall and the plug wouldn't hold...
So up she went for the ride back down the hill... I kept an eye on her in the side mirror...
Yeah, yeah...
The closest dealer was in San Bernardino, Chapparal Motosports... HUGE store and a sense of humor to boot...
It was Sunday so the service dept was closed but they took pity on me and took the bike in to their secure lot until I could call the next morning. We stayed that evening with my friend, Lynn, in Palm Springs, who has a fairly well developed sense of humor...
To follow... new tires, good Samaritans, and a happy ending (not that kind!!)...
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rushes
Well-known member
Dang Tyler, that's a good picture of you....
Thanks, pumpkin... :wub:Dang Tyler, that's a good picture of you....
DAY FIVE: Palm Springs to Riverside to San Bernardino to Idlywild to Palm Springs!
The next morning, I called the dealer to find out they didn't have the very specific sized front tires in stock... but there was a dealer in Riverside who did... if I could pick them up, bring them over, they'd mount them right away. Hmmm... how was I gonna manage all that with no transportation?? Well, a gent on the FJRforum, Robert / Fly Bye, had PM'd me to see if we could meet up for coffee or something since he and his wife were residing in Palm Springs at the moment... well, he got more than he bargained for! When I called with my predicament, he said he'd be more than happy to schlep me around on the tire mission... and shortly thereafter picked me up... in his shiny red Corvette!!
Sally followed along, we picked up and delivered tires, got some lunch, and Sally was happy because she got to do some shopping and bought a new jacket, and I made a new friend in Robert... pretty good silver linings!
Sybil had new shoes and we were back on the road... Robert followed along for a bit and we decided to take a step back in time at Cabazon... Sally had spotted them off the freeway on our way out of Palm Springs so we decided that we would go visit them... I mean, c'mon... how many dinosaurs are there hanging around SoCal??
The crows were unimpressed...
And we bade our new friend and very special guest star, Robert, a fond adieu until we meet again...
I can't thank you enough for all your help and look forward to paying you back with that dinner soon!
We still had a couple of hours of daylight left so figured we'd catch up on a road or two that we missed the day before so off up 243 toward Idllywild we went... the sides of the hills were blanketed in green... fire retardant chemicals from a wildfire a few months prior...
The road climbs real fast and soon have a view of the desert, quickly leaving civilization behind...
The desert sunset has an amazing energy to it...
Sally caught me in a moment of quiet contemplation and gratitude for this amazing world we live in...
We didn't dawdle much as we didn't want to be caught in the dark on the way down 74... just look at those twists and turns!!
We rolled in just after dark and tucked the machines away before enjoying a home cooked meal and wonderful evening with Lynn who graciously let us stay at her place an extra night...
Lynn calls the desert a healing place and I think I understand what she means... I kind of didn't want to leave... hard to put into words but it definitely has a wonderful energy to it...
We enjoyed a home-cooked meal, good wine, and fun conversation before reluctantly dragging ourselves to bed... we wondered what the next day would have in store for us...
Stay tuned for the next installment of the STR show... back on track!
The desert sunset has an amazing energy to it...
Sally caught me in a moment of quiet contemplation and gratitude for this amazing world we live in...
We didn't dawdle much as we didn't want to be caught in the dark on the way down 74... just look at those twists and turns!!
We rolled in just after dark and tucked the machines away before enjoying a home cooked meal and wonderful evening with Lynn who graciously let us stay at her place an extra night...
Lynn calls the desert a healing place and I think I understand what she means... I kind of didn't want to leave... hard to put into words but it definitely has a wonderful energy to it...
We enjoyed a home-cooked meal, good wine, and fun conversation before reluctantly dragging ourselves to bed... we wondered what the next day would have in store for us...
Stay tuned for the next installment of the STR show... back on track!
beemerdons
Certifiable Old Fart
Hey FJR Forum Guys, isn't our Miss Tyler just so drop dead gorgeous! Hubba, hubba, hubba and hubba! jes' sayin' and nuff said eh!
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Thanks, Sammie... and we were actually laughing at the same thing when we were looking at pics at the end of the day... :lol:Great stuff Tyler!
PS - I had some difficulty telling from behind which one of the Tyler twins I was looking at.
ULEWZ
Well-known member
Sorry you hit a rock on hwy 2. This is sometimes an issue up there. Also glad you had fun, I love that road.
It was clean and smooth sailing for the first 80% of the road and then BAM! Rocks all over the damn place... oh well, we came out okay and got some really great riding in before the rock incident and even though my trip budget was totally buggered up with new tires...
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ULEWZ
Well-known member
Did you also take 9 mile (upper big tijunga)? That is how we access Hwy 2 from Angeles Forrest. That road is smooth and fast.
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Yes we did Upper Big Tujunga twice as I missed a turn to get us to the north/east side... so we rode it out and then back again... oh darn! B)
